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How to Teach Reading Comprehension

Teaching reading comprehension is something that is immensely important for all children to master. Reading comprehension is the fundamentals of what makes a good reader.

Step 1: Monitoring Comprehension

Be aware of what your student is reading! Are they understanding the concept of what they are reading. Are they having trouble with phonics and word use? Do they understand the purpose of what they are reading?

It is always important to monitor what your student is reading because then you are able to see if they are making the progress they need to be making! Make sure you identify what they do understand. Also, be aware of what they do not understand. Make sure you use appropriate strategies to make sure their reading comprehension is on track and right on grade level.

Step 2: Metacognition

Metacognition can be defined as "thinking about thinking." Good readers use metacognitive strategies to think about and have control over their reading. To start off it is important to ask the student "why are you reading this?" During reading it is important to make sure the student is understanding and comprehending what they are reading. Are they just reading as fast as they can and not really fully grasping on to what they are reading?

Step 3: Graphic and Semantic Organizers

Graphic organizers show the reader concepts and relationships between the meaning in a text or the use of diagrams. Graphic organizers are known by different names, such as maps, webs, graphs, and charts. Graphic organizer help visual learners. Graphic organizers help readers to be able to focus on concepts and relate to real life situations. Graphic organizers allow students to be able to to identity the differences in what they are reading. For example, the different between fiction and non fiction.

Step 4: Answering Questions

Questions give students a purpose and reason for reading! Answer students questions give them motivation to keep reading. It allows them to think about what they are reading. Answer students questions allows you to know if they are comprehending what they are learning. When asking questions it helps students review what they have learned. When you ask them questions they are able to answer questions better with practice.

Step 5: Summarizing

When you ask students to summarize it allows them to think what is important is what isn't. Summarizing allows students to put what they read into their own words. By doing this it allows them to have a better chance of remember what they just read. When summarizing they are able to focus on the main ideas. Also it allows them to eliminate what is not important.